Logline
A shuttle accident leads to Spock’s Vulcan DNA being removed by aliens, making him fully human and completely unprepared to face T’Pring’s family during an important ceremonial dinner.
Written by Kathryn Lyn & Henry Alonso Myers
Directed by Jordan Canning
I am not sure I agree with your series Vs episodic approach truly great writers can tell a story in a an hour or a short story. I mean House MD became formulaic but it’s first few series the fotmula of two misses and hit (you could check the angle of the minute hand to see where you were) did work and made highly popular single hour whodunnit.
I guess I just feel like there’s something to be said when you have what seems to be a minor side story taking place through multiple episodes, where you get a little info here and there that doesn’t seem to be related, but then it all gets pulled together. And sure, there are some fantastic stories that take place in a single episode. Still one of my favorite episodes is ST:TNG “Cause and Effect”, and I remember being so pissed at the TV station at the time for totally screwing up the airing of the new show until I figured out what was going on.
I just feel like ST in general adheres too much to the doctrine each episode being completely self-contained. Sure there are some broad-stroke changes that occur, but there’s also an awful lot where you can watch episodes in any random order and not miss a thing. Or maybe I’ve just missed a lot over all these years and simply not realized it.